Working on a Right Move! (Japanese: 恐怖のトリックルーム！ サトシ対コウヘイ！！Trick Room of Terror! Satoshi VS Kōhei!!) is the 185th episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 651st episode of the Pokémon anime. It aired in Japan on July 22, 2010 and in the United States on December 11, 2010.

Contents

Synopsis

With the third round of the Lily of the Valley Conference approaching, Ash takes the chance to get in some training with his Infernape, Torterra, and Glalie. He is up against Brock's Sudowoodo while Dawn and Pikachu sat at a corner to observe the two battle. Ash tells Infernape to use Flame Wheel while Sudowoodo blocks the attack. Ash orders Infernape to use Flame Wheel again but this Flame Wheel is different. By powering up Flame Wheel, Infernape has learned a new move, Flare Blitz. With its new move, Infernape uses Flare Blitz against Sudowoodo. Sudowoodo tries to block the attack but is no match for Flare Blitz and is sent crashing back. Barry comes along and is wowed by the Flare Blitz. Although it is powerful, Brock warns Ash not to overuse Flare Blitz as it deals serious recoil damage.

Barry asks if Ash is training for a match against Paul but Ash reminds him that he still needs to beat Conway first. This leads Barry to ask if Ash is going with Infernape, Torterra, and Glalie for the day's match. Dawn, however, isn't too sure if brute force is enough to beat Conway. They all fail to realize though that Conway is hiding behind a tree and eavesdropping on their conversation. He takes mental notes on what Pokémon Ash will be using against him and prepares his strategy.

Before the battle between Ash and Conway starts, a Tangrowth is seen rendering a Hippowdon to be unable to battle, thus concluding the fifth match of round three. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is selling snacks in the stadium and see Cynthia. They manage to attract her over, and while she decides on whether to get a sandwich or an ice cream, her presence is able to attract several other customers and thus boosting Team Rocket's business.

The battle between Ash and Conway finally starts and will be taking place on a grass battlefield. It will be a three-on-three Pokémon battle. Conway chooses Shuckle as his first Pokémon and Dawn takes the chance to scan Shuckle with her Pokédex. Meanwhile, Ash chooses Noctowl. Conway is surprised that Ash is using different Pokémon than he thought he would. He had thought Ash would use Infernape because it had recently learned a new move. In the stands, knowing that Ash caught Noctowl in the Johto region, Dawn looks it up on her Pokédex. Barry, on the other hand, is surprised that Ash's Noctowl is a rare, differently colored one from other Noctowl. Conway starts the battle off by telling Shuckle to use Withdraw. Ash tells Noctowl to use Sky Attack, hoping that it would be enough to break through Shuckle's defense. While Noctowl is swooping down for the kill, Conway tells Shuckle to use Withdraw two more times in order to increase its defense. In the end, Shuckle's defense was too much for Noctowl and Noctowl is sent flying back. Shuckle then uses Power Trick to switch its Attack and Defense stats. Brock explains that because Shuckle originally had a high Defense stat and low Attack stat, it now has a high Attack stat and a low Defense stat due to the effects of Power Trick. Noctowl then uses Air Slash and Shuckle counters with Gyro Ball, which is able to break through the Air Slash and hit Noctowl. Noctowl falls to the ground and, having received critical damage, Ash recalls it.

Ash then sends out Donphan. Shuckle uses Sludge Bomb but Donphan counters with Rollout, rendering Sludge Bomb useless. Conway then tells Shuckle to use Gyro Ball again. Gyro Ball hits and causes Donphan to lose control and crash. As a result, Ash recalls Donphan. Brock notes that Donphan's attack is only half as effective if it ever gets deflected and wonders if Ash switched Donphan because of a strategy change.

For Ash's third Pokémon, Ash sends out Gible. Conway notes that Gible had not yet mastered Draco Meteor. Meanwhile, Barry is excited at Gible's entrance and Jessie and James are watching the battle. Meowth scolds them for not working but James doesn't want to miss the battle. According to Jessie, things are never boring when Gible is around.

Conway no longer cares if Gible has mastered Draco Meteor or not and orders Shuckle to use Gyro Ball. Ash tells Gible to catch Shuckle in its mouth, using Gible's habit of biting things to his advantage. Everyone is surprised by this move as not even Conway could have predicted it. With Gible's bite holding strong, Shuckle is unable to escape. To counter, Conway tells Shuckle to use Sludge Bomb in Gible's mouth. Gible is hardly happy about this as Shuckle unleashes several powerful Sludge Bombs in its mouth. With no other choice, Ash tells Gible to spit Shuckle out but Gible has other things in mind as it prepares a Draco Meteor. Shuckle is heaved into the air with a now-mastered Draco Meteor. Shuckle crashes to the ground and is rendered unconscious.

For his second Pokémon, Conway sends out Lickilicky. Ash tells Gible to use Dragon Pulse but Lickilicky uses Lick before Dragon Pulse has the chance to be fired. Gible is treated to a thorough licking while the audience shivers at this disturbing sight. Ash tells Gible to escape by using Dig while Lickilicky counters with Power Whip. Power Whip's power reverberates across the battlefield and Gible is thrown into the air. Before Conway can call any more attacks, Ash recalls Gible and sends out Noctowl once more.

Conway orders Lickilicky to use Power Whip once more but its tongue proved to be too short to reach Noctowl. Noctowl then uses Air Slash, which hits Lickilicky right in the face. Lickilicky then uses Thunderbolt but Noctowl quickly dodges the otherwise super-effective attack. Noctowl uses Extrasensory to lift Lickilicky into the air and then throws it down to render it unable to battle.

With only one Pokémon left, Conway sends out Dusknoir and orders Trick Room. While Ash, Barry, and Dawn are confused as to what Trick Room is, Brock wonders if Conway had used Shuckle and Lickilicky in order to see what Ash's Pokémon for the day would be. Ash tells Noctowl to use Extrasensory but Dusknoir suddenly appears behind Noctowl and throws a ThunderPunch. The attack hits and Noctowl is rendered unable to battle. Ash is confused as to what happened and Conway explains that Trick Rooms allows the slower Pokémon to go first. Because Ash's Noctowl, Donphan, and Gible are all faster, Dusknoir will always be the first one to attack. Brock notes that although Ash seemed to be having the upper advantage, it was actually all happening according to Conway's plans.

With Noctowl unconscious, Ash sends out Donphan once more. Ash tells Donphan to use Rollout but Dusknoir strikes first with a powerful Shadow Punch. This leaves Donphan unable to get back up. Ash tries to switch Donphan out but Dusknoir uses Mean Look to trap Donphan on the battlefield. Dusknoir uses Shadow Punch again and knocks Donphan unconscious.

Ash has no choice but to send out Gible again. Trick Room, however, is still in effect. Ash tells Gible to use Dig but Dusknoir's Shadow Punch is able to hit before Gible can escape. As a result, Gible is hurdled into the ground. Gible then aligns itself under Dusknoir while in the ground and shoots straight up. Dusknoir is ordered to use Shadow Punch once more and reappears behind Gible. Ash then tells Gible to turn around and bite the Shadow Punch. Gible bites Dusknoir's hand and, as Conway remarks in absolute surprise and shock, eats Shadow Punch. Dusknoir tries to shake Gible off but Gible uses Draco Meteor to shoot Dusknoir into the sky. Dusknoir lands but is still able to battle. Ash tells Gible to use Dragon Pulse but Dusknoir's Shadow Punch strikes first again. Gible, however, hangs strong and releases his Dragon Pulse, which hits Dusknoir straight in the face and knocks Dusknoir unconscious. As always, Gible is nearly exhausted after the use of Dragon Pulse. With all three of his Pokémon rendered unable to battle, Conway loses the battle to Ash and Ash is now able to advance to the next round. While Ash and his friends cheer, Conway notes that this was the least calculated battle he ever had but at least he gained a new method of battling.

The board then randomizes the next set of battles for the Top 8 contestants and Ash is revealed to be facing Paul next.

Ash and his friends and Pokémon are seen celebrating outside the stadium when Paul arrives. Pikachu and Paul's Electivire issue a challenge with each other while Cynthia watches them from them from the balconies, as she looks forward to the battle between the two long-time rivals.

Ash is then seen talking to Professor Oak. He had received Buizel from the Professor and was now waiting for his last Pokémon to arrive. Just then, Dawn calls Ash outside of the Pokémon Center, telling him that his last Pokémon has arrived. A shadow appears across the moon, only to be revealed as Ash's Gliscor licking its face in eagerness as the episode ends.

A new effect is used in this episode when Noctowl is sent out of its Poké Ball. Due to Noctowl being a shiny Pokémon, previously when it was sent out it was accompanied by a few white sparkles. However, as sparkles are now standard whenever any Pokémon is sent out from a Poké Ball, Noctowl is instead surrounded by two rings made up of bright yellow sparkles.

Despite the fact Ash attempted to recall Donphan before Conway's Dusknoir used the move Mean Look, the move took priority contrary to the conventions of the games.

Errors

When the referee declared Donphan unable to battle, his shirt collar is yellow instead of black (as seen earlier in the episode).

When Dusknoir hits the ground after being hit by Dragon Pulse, the iris and pupil of Dusknoir's eye was swapped colors.

When Ash sent his Noctowl, Donphan, and Gible to Professor Oak he asked Ash if he was 'waiting for his third Pokemon', but his battle with Paul was a full six-on-six battle.